“If they ring me up, there is not a single ounce of my being that wouldn’t recommend Lloyd Jones to play for my country.”
Nathan Jones has no doubts.
He says he would have a clear message for Wales manager Craig Bellamy and assistant Andrew Crofts if they asked about his centre-back. “Comfortably he’s good enough,” the Charlton boss tells Sky Sports. “Categorically, I would not think twice about recommending him.”
That endorsement comes days after Wales’ World Cup hopes ended in a play-off defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and during a superb season for Lloyd in the Championship with Charlton. Supporters have voted the 30-year-old the club’s player of the month for the fifth month running.
Lloyd represented both Wales and England at youth level and qualifies for Wales through his father. “It would be a real honour to represent and play international football,” he tells Sky Sports. For now, his focus is on securing Charlton’s second-tier status. The Joneses played key roles in last season’s promotion from League One, and while this season has had its challenges, the Addicks are in a healthy position with seven games left: 18th in the table, nine points above the relegation zone.
“It would be a big thing for us, staying up,” Lloyd says. “But I don’t want to set my career up to just be staying in the league. I don’t want to just take part.”
Nathan first signed Lloyd at Luton Town in 2018, when Lloyd was still finding his way after leaving Liverpool. When they reunited at Charlton in 2023, Lloyd brought leadership to the backline. “I love working with Lloyd,” Nathan says. “I signed Lloyd at Luton and he wasn’t the player he is today. The talent and the ability were there but the all-round package wasn’t. Then when I came back you could see a different maturity and that’s just grown. He plays with confidence, he plays with the trust of the manager. We demand certain stuff from him and don’t let him rest on his laurels. We expect big things from him and we set up for his strengths. He’s been magnificent.”
Lloyd helped Charlton post a club-record 23 clean sheets last season in League One. This term, while the Championship represents a step up, the 6ft 3in defender leads the division for clearances and aerial duels won — stats that underline his combative approach and effectiveness in the air.
After Luton, Lloyd had spells with Northampton Town and Cambridge United in League One. Now playing the best football of his career, he credits Nathan for much of his development. “If I need a kick up the backside, he’ll give me that,” Lloyd laughs, describing their relationship. “He’s good with the way he praises me. I’d say a bit more on the tough love side, but I think he’s brilliant. When I signed for him I wasn’t in the same headspace as I am now. I went into a winning side, I didn’t play as much as I wanted to. My mentality was a little bit different then, but I think this time around, I love playing for him. I know I want to do well for him. When I’m a bit tired out there, you sometimes do it for him as well. I think a lot of the team will feel like that. He’s a big part in how my career took off in the last two or three years.”
“Yes, I’ve always had inner confidence. I’ve been unlucky with injuries in my early career and also not being an absolute angel. But I think probably in the last four or five years, I realised what I wanted, and that’s football. I love playing on a Saturday and winning three points.”
It’s a player-manager partnership that has paid dividends for both and for Charlton. With fixtures across the Easter weekend — and opponents Bristol City and Watford to contend with — the Joneses will be central to the Addicks’ bid to consolidate in the Championship. And perhaps, in time, Lloyd’s form could lead to international recognition for Wales.